By: James Shodiya. -Nigerians should not expect the long-delayed National Single Window (NSW) project to transform cargo clearance, according to Dr. Segun Alade Musa, Chief Consultant at Global Transport Policy.
Speaking at a Maritime Reporters Association of Nigeria (MARAN) roundtable in Apapa, Lagos, Musa argued that the NSW is merely “an ordinary shell to house agencies.” He stressed that unless the agencies themselves are properly equipped with infrastructure, the initiative will fail to deliver meaningful change.
“Bringing agencies together under NSW is not the solution. Interactions may be faster, but without the needed infrastructure, the effort will be frustrated,” Musa warned.
Drawing on history, he recalled the Nigeria Customs Service’s 1997 shift from the Long Room to the Customs Processing Centre (CPC), which was expected to speed up clearance but ultimately changed little.
On Customs specifically, Musa criticized the practice of setting revenue targets, describing it as “a lazy way of running the economy.” He insisted that Customs’ primary mandate should be trade facilitation, not revenue collection. Celebrating higher revenue, he said, is “a disaster” for the economy.
He further noted that automating Customs licences alone is insufficient, urging instead for end-to-end system automation. While commending the Comptroller General for progress made, Musa emphasized that much more remains to be done.
